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Associations between memory and verbal fluency tasks
Gitit Kavé1, Smadar Sapir-Yogev2
1Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University, Ra'anana, Israel.
Journal of Communication Disorders
|December 14, 2019
Summary
This study found that recalling stories and retrieving words on verbal fluency tasks involve similar cognitive processes across all ages. These findings suggest shared retrieval mechanisms support both memory recall and language production.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Inconsistent evidence exists regarding the link between long-term memory retrieval (story recall) and verbal fluency.
- Understanding shared cognitive mechanisms is crucial for explaining memory and language performance across the lifespan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate shared retrieval mechanisms between delayed story recall and verbal fluency tasks.
- To examine these associations across a wide age range, from childhood to old age.
Main Methods:
- 380 participants (ages 5-91) completed tasks assessing delayed story recall, digit span, phonemic fluency, and semantic fluency.
- Correlational analyses were used to examine the relationships between these cognitive tasks.
Main Results:
- Significant positive correlations were observed between delayed story recall and both phonemic and semantic fluency across all age groups.
- Delayed story recall remained a significant predictor of fluency performance even after accounting for digit span performance.
Conclusions:
- Retrieval processes involved in delayed story recall and verbal fluency tasks appear to share common cognitive components.
- These shared mechanisms are consistent across development, from childhood through old age.
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